Managing Blind Spots

We all have blind spots, and they are weaknesses we should combat...But how do managers work actively to fight weaknesses of which, by definition, they are insufficiently aware? Confirmation bias refers to our tendency, when receiving new information, to process it in a way that it fits our pre-existing narrative about a situation or problem.

But confirmation bias can cause disaster in business and policy when it leads a decisionmaker to jump to conclusions, fall prey to misguided analogies, or exclude information that disturbs a desired plan of action. What to do? The only remedy is to make sure you have a full and accurate picture when making important decisions.

Hindsight bias is confirmation bias’s equally problematic sibling...Hindsight bias impairs our ability to draw the right conclusions, as we imagine after the fact that a situation in the past was avoidable, or a decision simpler than it actually was at the time. Here’s one way to check hindsight bias: keep a diary. And record minutes from key meetings.

Companies like developing their own culture. Yet a culture that binds too tightly chokes off independent thought... Fighting groupthink should start at the hiring stage. Look for people who share your values, but who are also tough, independent, and able to tell you what they think.

From “Three Tips For Overcoming Your Blind Spots”